Gardaí investigating alleged voter impersonation at Kerry polling station in June elections

The allegation centres on voter impersonation — where an attempt was made to cast the vote of a registered voter.

Gardaí have confirmed a file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the case of an alleged incident of "voter irregularity” at a polling station in Kenmare on the day of the June local and European elections.

The allegation centres on voter impersonation — where an attempt was made to cast the vote of a registered voter.

Gardaí and polling station staff were alerted at about 8.30pm on the evening of the election after canvassers and at least one candidate spotted a person who was not living in the local area emerging from a booth after allegedly casting a vote in the name of another person, a registered voter.

The man registered to vote in Kenmare had not cast his vote.

Shortly after the incident, at a national school in Kenmare, gardaí confirmed an investigation was under way.

County registrar Padraig Burke, returning officer for Kerry, also confirmed inquiries were being conducted into a suspected case of impersonation and his staff were assisting gardaí with their inquiries.

The Garda Press Office said: “Gardaí in Kerry are investigating a single incident of alleged voter irregularity at a polling station in Kenmare, which occurred on Friday June 7, 2024. A file has been submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.” 

As this is “a live investigation”, An Garda Síochána cannot make any further comment, it added.

Meanwhile, a second inquiry in Kerry also involving local elections, but this time centering on voter registration before the 2019 local elections, is also with the DPP on foot of a file sent by the Garda Ombudsman.

Gsoc launched the investigation into allegations around the supplementary register in Kerry after complaints in May 2019 shortly before the last local elections. 

A garda at a station in Kerry was alleged to have stamped voter register forms without the voters being present. A file went to the DPP in 2023.

The allegations centred on the Killarney area. Bundles of forms, possibly up to 200 additional voters or voters who were changing address, were allegedly stamped by a garda in a Garda station.

Several calls, including a council motion, have been made for the matter to be brought to a conclusion for the sake of clarity and confidence in the electoral system.